When setting up an online bank account there are a few factors that need to be considered.
- Bank accounts should be held in the name of the PCC.
- The PCC Treasurer should ensure that the list of authorised signatories is kept up to date and approved by the PCC.
- The list should be reviewed regularly.
- In particular, the list should be reviewed whenever there is a change of Incumbent.
- As per the Charity Commission’s requirements, all cheques (and instructions to the bank to make payments from PCC funds) must be signed by two authorised signatories, of whom the Treasurer may be one.
- When opening bank account PCC will be asked to provide their charity registration number.
- PCCs are only required to register with Charity Commission if their annual income is above £100,000.
There are a number of other pieces of information that can be provided to the bank to confirm your PCC's charitable status:
- A Church Near You (www.achurchnearyou.com), the Church of England's national website and rearchable directory of every church, enables creation of a certificate that confirms your PCC's charitable status. This could be done by going to the PCC’s own page, then clicking on the ‘More Information’ tab on the left hand side. Scroll to the bottom of the page, where the option to ‘Download Certificate’ is offered, and click on that and then enter name and e-mail address, to enable the certificate confirming Exempted Charity status and the relevant measure, to be e-mailed to the given email address.
- Gift Aid number – this is also a proof of charitable status which can be verified with HMRC.
- Further information can be found on Governing Documents of PCCs on the website Parish Resources (www.parishresources.org.uk).